To best understand why there are so many cases of cybercrime, and why they will possibly keep on rising, it is important to understand the psychology of the perpetrators. Cybercriminals have the technical know-how to penetrate systems and networks to steal data, money, or compromise the integrity of the systems. The following are the main categories of hackers:
- Black hats: These are malicious hackers that purposefully penetrate systems and networks for financial or self-gain
- White hats: They are vigilante hackers that try and find vulnerabilities that can be used by black hats to attack systems so that mitigation measures can be taken
- Grey hats: They are black hats that have reformed and become security consultants
- Hacktivists: These are groups of hackers that join hands in hacking exercises, often to make a political statement aimed at pushing for social...
